Effects of a Sedentary Lifestyle on Adult Development - Essay Example

I. Introduction Human development is an area in psychology that has been continuously explored. Various studies have attempted to determine the general pattern of growth of human beings. Moreover, these studies have attempted to describe the various stages of human life. There are various facets that define human development. In each stage of a human's life, several changes occur. As a human being ages, changes can be observed in his physical, cognitive, and psychosocial state. This paper will aim to detail and describe adult development. Beginning with young adulthood and ending with the elderly stage of development, this paper will describe the various characteristics that define what each stage of development is. Furthermore, insights will likewise be given with regards to adulthood in different cultures. In certain ways, adulthood is relative to different cultural aspects. As such, it is essential to describe adulthood in different cultures so as to provide a clearer perspective on the development of adults not just in the United States but in the world as well. II. Early Adulthood Overview The early adulthood stage is typically defined as the period wherein a human being is between the ages of 20 to 40 years old. At this stage, people are in the process if building their foundation for the latter stages of their life. This includes the college years, the early years of employment, and marriage. Moreover, at this stage of development, the various aspects of development are entwined, which is the case with the other stages of development as well. More importantly, the choices and the events that occur in the life of a young adult have great influences in how he will progress with his development later on. Physical Development During early adulthood, humans are at their prime physically. At this stage, they are the peak of their strength, energy, and endurance. Furthermore, young adults also find themselves at the peak of their sensory and motor functioning. (Papalia et al, 2001) This means that they get to see, smell, taste, and hear better. Moreover, they react faster than those who are at the latter stages of adulthood. However, as previously mentioned, development in early adulthood is a product of the choices that the person makes. As such, the lifestyle of a young is highly relevant when considering his physical health. During this stage, the lifestyle of an individual usually includes smoking, alcohol, and in certain cases, substance or drug use. All these factors contribute to the health of young adults. A lifestyle with such elements not only leads to various health hazards during early adulthood, it also contributes to the premature deterioration of the health of young adults especially later on in their lives. Cognitive Development The cognitive abilities of young adults are often shaped by their experiences. A typical description of the cognitive characteristics of early adulthood is known as post formal thought. According to Papalia et al (2001), "It is generally applied to social situations and involves the ability to shift between abstract reasoning and practical consideration; awareness that problems can have multiple causes and solutions; pragmatism in choosing solutions; and awareness of inherent conflict." Moreover, young adults develop more flexibility and relativity in the manner by which they view the various issues that they deal with. They are no longer confined to black and white. Instead, they begin to see shades of gray which is an indication that they realize that there is always more than two sides to any story. Psychosocial Development During early adulthood, people enter into intimate relationships that may or may not lead to marriage. In cases where such relationships end up in marriage, the next concern would be parenthood. As such, young adults begin to consider more factors than those that solely concern themselves. In dealing with people, young adults have far more to consider than when they were younger. As previously mentioned, experience has a lot to do with how the personality of a young adult develops. As the various changes in a young adult's life occur, such as entering a relationship and breaking up, getting married, and becoming a parent, their personality evolves and becomes a product of all of such experiences. III. Middle Adulthood Overview Middle adulthood is considered a social construct. (Papalia et al, 2001)This is due to the fact that people in the past centuries rarely used to live beyond the age of young adulthood. With today's longer life span, middle adulthood has been thrust into the limelight and has received more attention from developmental scientists. Middle adulthood is classified as the stage where people are between the ages of 40 and 65. At this stage, most people are working and raising families. Some are the height of their careers. Moreover, it is at this stage that humans carry a variety of responsibilities which may include managing or running a company, caring and supporting a family, and caring for elderly parents. As such, there are several factors that affect the development of people in this stage. Physical Development During middle adulthood, various physical changes are observed. Firstly, people at this stage begin to have visual problems. They begin to experience difficulty in seeing due to the decline in the sharpness of their vision thereby requiring them to use glasses. Secondly, a gradual hearing loss is likewise observed especially when people reach their 50s. (Merrill & Verbrugge, 1999) Sensitivity to taste and smell also begins to decrease at this stage. (Cain et al, 1990) Strength, coordination, and reaction time also decrease when people are in the middle adulthood stage of development. More importantly, sexually related problems such as menopause for women and impotence for men are areas of concern for those in middle adulthood. Such physiological changes are products of aging. However, in certain cases, the lifestyle of a person may help delay or advance the onset of such changes in one's physical state. Cognitive Development People in the middle adulthood stage of development are known to be at the peak of their cognitive abilities. Although certain sensory or motor functions begin to gradually decline, people at this stage are said to be at the prime of their cognitive abilities. Specifically, it is during midlife that the inductive reasoning, spatial orientation, vocabulary, and verbal memory of a person reach their peaks. (Schaie, 1994) Also, due to the fact that most people at this stage are working, such experiences have honed their skills especially when it comes to practical problem solving. Psychosocial Development Almost everyone has heard of the term midlife crisis. This term refers to the period wherein a person reviews and reevaluates what he has made out of himself during his life. This term is thought to best exemplify the psychosocial development of people in middle adulthood. This is because people in their midlife begin to seek out their identity. Although such process of reevaluation may not be a crisis at all, certain psychologists have termed it as midlife review. It is at this stage in one's life that is considered a psychological turning point, "A time of stocktaking yielding new insights into the self and spurring midcourse corrections in the design and trajectory of one's life." (Moen & Wethington, 1999) IV. Late Adulthood Overview Late adulthood is sometimes considered the age of retirement. When people reach the age of 65, they most often retire from their careers and live a life of rest and relaxation. Typically, people in the late adulthood stage of development are between the ages of 65 to 85. However, being in this age doesn't mean that one is really old. Sometimes, an 85 year old man may be younger than a 65-year old because of the various factors that determine what is called as functional age1. Physical Development Aging is usually accompanied by the decline in one's physical health. As people reach the stage of late adulthood, they are expected to be frail. However, frailty is not always the case for the elderly. In certain cases, people in this late stage in life are even healthier than those in their younger years. This is because there are people who are more physically active than those even in their 30s. In was previously mentioned that lifestyle greatly influences the latter stages in one's life. Therefore, those who took good care of their health in the earlier stages of their life are expected to be healthier than what their age would connote when they reach late adulthood. The main physical risks that people in late adulthood face are the heightened risks of heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Common physical changes at this stage include the deterioration of vision and the decline in response times. Moreover, most changes in bodily functions are often the result of disease. Cognitive Development As with the physical condition of people in late adulthood, there are noticeable cognitive changes as well. People in late adulthood often experience a general slowdown in their central nervous system functioning. This then results to a decrease in the speed of processing information and may affect the manner by which people in late adulthood make decisions. Sometimes, mental disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia may affect the mental processing capabilities of people in this stage as well. Psychosocial Development Most people in late adulthood are retired and have no stable source of income. Moreover, since some are incapable of taking care of themselves due to illness, or the decrease in cognitive abilities, they are placed in the care of health care workers in homes especially for the elderly. Others on the other hand, have enough income to live on their own and support their own needs. There are also those who live with their children who likewise provide for their needs. At this stage in one's life, personal relationships are very important. Social contact is vital to maintaining the well-being of the elderly. Social contact and support are known to be related to good health. The lack of social contact is sometimes thought of as a mortality risk. In simpler terms, relationships are important for the continued well-being of people in late adulthood. They help people at this stage remain healthy and continue to live a good life. V. Adult Development in Other Cultures Most of the characteristics of adult development detailed above are in the American setting. However, as earlier mentioned, adult development tends to vary from culture to culture. The culture of a country may affect how an adult moves from stage to stage. For instance, adult life in the Philippines is very different from what was discussed. For one, Filipino young adults often continue to live with their parents even when they are in college, are working, or even have their own families. This is due to the fact that the culture of Filipinos values strong family ties. That is why it is not uncommon for Filipino young adults to live with their parents even when they are earning already. Also, according to Gines et al, "Generally, Filipinos view their late adults with respect that ageism does not prevent the Filipino elderly from living actively and happily." (1998) As a result, it is highly unlikely that Filipinos would send their elderly to elderly homes. Most of the time, the elderly stays with his family. They, in turn, take care of all their needs. This is all due to the Filipino culture of giving great value to family. VI. Research Question From the discussion above, it is quite evident that physical activity is greatly significant in adult development. The lack of physical activity may have dire repercussions especially during the late stages of adulthood. A sedentary lifestyle is considered to be a health risk that is why exercise for adults is often promoted. (Myers et al, 1989) As such, it is suggested that the following research question be addressed, "What are the effects of a sedentary lifestyle in young adulthood in the late adulthood stage of development" This research would call for analysis as to the effect of a sedentary lifestyle on the latter stages of one's life. Nowadays, many people are living lives that require very little physical effort. This is due to the various technological innovations that have all made lives easier to live. However, such innovations have also caused the decrease in the level of physical activity in young adults. Since it was mentioned that the lifestyle in young adulthood impacts latter stages in adult life, it is essential that the effects of today's predominant lifestyle on adult development be explored. Reference: Cain, W.S., Reid, F. and Stevens, J.C. (1990). "Missing ingredients: aging and the discrimination of flavor." J. Nutr. Elderly, 9, 3-15. Gines, A., Dizon, P., Obias, P., Uriarte, G. & Vendivel Jr, F. (1998) Developmental psychology. Rex Publishing : Manila, Philippines. Pp. 223-257. Merrill, S. S., & Verbrugge, L. M. (1999). "Health and disease in midlife." In S. L. Willis & J. D. Reid (Eds.), Life in the middle: Psychological and social development in middle age (pp. 78-104). San Diego: Academic Press. Moen, P., & Wethington, E. (1999). "Midlife development in a life course context." In S. L. Willis & J. D. Reid (Eds.), Life in the middle: Psychological and social development in middle age (pp. 3-23). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Myers, AM., Weigel, C., & Holliday, PJ. (1989). "Sex and age-linked determinants of physical activity in adulthood." Can J Public Health. Jul-Aug; 80(4):256-60. Papalia, D., Wenkos-Olds, S., & Feldman, R. (2001). Human development. 8th ed. McGraw Hill : New York. Schaie, KW. (1994). "The course of adult intellectual development." American Psychologist, 49, 304-313 Read More